betts



Arias FATE WM. G. BETTS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE COT-BEDS'IEAD.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM O. Bnr'rs, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedPortable Cot; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description.

I construct my cots with side rails and legs, either of wood or iron, inthe main, like those of ordinary cots; but in order to dispense with andform a substitute for pillows, I raise the ends at the head as shown inFigure 1 at A in the accompanying drawings. This elevation is made toconform to the depression in the neck from theshoulders to the head,thus allowing persons to recline in an easy and natural position.

I also improve the cot, by the mode of connecting the legs to the siderails. This I do by means of dovetails, of a wedge shape, so made andapplied that, that attached to each leg, keeps that attached to itsfellow,the opposite one,in place; and yet, they can be easily separated,by drawing the side rails a little in proximity, and giving a slight jarto the legs. Thus we have a stronger joint, and at the same time onethat can be easily disconnected, by which it is rendered convenientlyportable. be observed, that two enter from within out, and two fromwithout in. Thus the Whole becomes locked in place.

I still further improve the cot, by making and applying to the legs attheir crossings, to connect each pair together, a right hand screw toone, and a left hand screw to the other pair. The screws and nuts I soapply and adjust, that when the cot is being spread out, they serve totighten each pair of legs together, and when it is being drawn up theyloosen.

I again improve the cot still further, by constructing and using tensebars, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, letters F and These serve to preventthe bed from settling in the center, thus making the cot bed comfortablefor two persons to sleep on, which I believe has never before beeneffected. That shown at F, Fig. 4, of which Fig. 14 is an enlarged view,can be accommodated to the stretch of the bed bottom, to an indefiniteextent, it being composed of a right and left screw combined in onepiece, which passes through nuts made fast to the inner ends of twobars, and entering the bars by a suitable opening, corresponding withthe screw.

It may space.

Thisis applied, between the side rails, the outer ends, being in someway made fast to the inner sides of the side rails near the ends. To addstrength to this, or still further to serve the same purpose, I use another apparatus as shown at 9 Fig. 5, which is fastened to one leg by ahinge as seen at H, and operated by a notched plate 8 to the oppositeleg.

The side-rails may be hinged in or near the center. By placing thehinges on the inside in combination with the tense bars,

which, actingat right angles to the downward pressure or weight on thecot, neutralizes to a great extent the strain on the hinges, a greatportion of the burden on the cotbeing thrown on the tense bars.

I have still further improved the cot by identifying all that ordinarilygoes to form that on which we lie, thus dispensing with the ordinarybeds or means used for that purpose. The advantages of this arrangementare the great saving of material for filling, just sufficient beingrequired to accommodate itself to the inequalities of the person orbody; also its being so conveniently portable.

In order to adapt the cot to field purposes,

I have still further improved it, by constructing andconnecting to it, aframe for the support of a tent like covering, as shown in Figs. 1, L,and 5, letters L and K. It is connected together by hinges, in such away, as to fold together in one piece in a small In order to support thejoint at the center of the connecting piece forming the apex of theframe, I have invented a thumb slide, with a depression suited to acatch, which is on the opposite side of the joint, under which rests aspring, throwing the slide in the catch, thus rendering it substantial.It can be removed by depressing with the thumb the slide and' at thesame time drawing it.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. The elevation in the side rails as a substitute for the pillow,as described.

2. I also claim the dovetails as used, for attaching and detaching, thelegs to, and from, the side rails, that is to say, the dovetailsentering their mortises from opposite ends of the cot frame, so thatthey cannot readily loosen by use.

3. I also claim the arrangement of the right and left hand screws, whichunite the opposite legs at their crossings in such a the side rails Q Q,of a cot bed, for the purmanner, that, the screws shall tend to pose ofkeeping the sacking bottom tense.

tighten the joint as the legs separate from each other, or 1o osen thesame, as they ap- WILLIAM BETTS' 5 proximate. Witnesses:

4:. I claim the combination of the tense VM. H. SMITH,

bars F, having right and left screws, With JOHN H. FRosT.

